ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida man is being held without bond, accused of murdering his friend with an ax during a fight over lottery tickets.

"I was defending myself," suspect Joseph Robinson said after his initial court appearance.

The victim was identified as John Henry Stubbs, 69. The father of 11 was killed in what investigators said was a gruesome act involving an ax.

"It's a shock. We're still trying to cope with it and deal with the situation right now," said Michelle Johnson, the victim's niece.

Witnesses and family members told investigators that an altercation over scratch-off tickets and money led to the attack. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said Robinson attacked and killed the victim with an ax and then ran away.

"He got mad, ran and got the ax and hit him with it twice," said Chakia Gardner, Robinson's ex-girlfriend. "He snuck him. Yeah, he snuck him," said witness Annie Macon. There were multiple witnesses to the crime, like Macon, who helped investigators identify the suspect within a few hours.

"It's going to be in my mind forever. Never seen anything like that," Macon said. But for the victim's daughters, sadness turned to anger. "He better hope the police get him, I swear to God," one daughter said.

Robinson's criminal record shows a violent past filled with charges of battery and domestic disputes dating back to 2008. He is now accused of murder.

"It's disheartening, but justice will be served," Johnson said. Robinson is being held in the Orange County Jail without bond.